Imagination, the Door to the Real World
by purplemoneky
Summary: Sophie thought her dreams were only dreams, not memories of a childhood she pretended was over. But her memories are even more than that, something far more powerful than anyone had thought possible.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Well...it's been a long time since I've posted a story, like a REALLY long time. Finally back in the game though. :) So first of all...I don't own anything in relation to the movie or characters. **

**And with that, I welcome constructive criticism. If there is anything unwelcoming in your opinion, from my use of words, grammar, or story line. Please do not hesitate. I aim to please. :)**

**Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"Sophie? Hello? Are you even listening to me?" The brunette waved her stale coffee shop pastry in her friend's face, effectively pulling her out of her daze.

"What? Sorry, Cass. You lost me at sorority house." She looked at her friend with a small smile. Cassie stared at her unamused.

"Come on Soph, you need to get out more. This is college! We're supposed to be out late, making mistakes and having fun! You practically NEVER leave your house. And on the off occasion I can pull you out, you spend half the time disconnected. Where does your mind go anyway?" Sophie spun her cup around and crinkled her nose.

"Nowhere." She rounded up her stuff and her friend huffed, following suit.

"Whatever Sophie. The party's next weekend. You're going, I'll bring you back to reality. And we WILL find you a boyfriend." Cassie hopped once to emphasize her determination and flitted out of the shop. Sophie rolled her eyes and dropped some change on the table before leaving.

* * *

Sophie was 22 years old. After a few years of begging, her parents finally convinced her to go back to school. So here she was, majoring in creative literature. It wasn't anything special, just the community college in Beaver County. Lucky for her, Jamie was already living close and agreed to let her stay while she's in school. She would have been perfectly content to stay in Burgess, she had a steady job at the daycare. It was a perfect job, she could spend all her time with the children, and they never tired of her stories. Stories about her childhood dreams and the mythical beings that held the lime light. But over time her parents had a stronger persistence to see her get a real career and stop telling childish stories. It was time to grow up. Her parents had hassled her since she was sixteen to stop filling her mind with the silly myths that she did. Around eighteen, she stopped voicing her thoughts and opted to filling numerous diaries with her mind wanderings. When she broke down and agreed to pick up school again, choosing creative literature was the only thing she could use against her parents. They didn't like it, but smartly kept quiet since she was actually going.

It was mid-November, the last of the leaves had fallen and the bite of winter had made its steady appearance as Sophie pulled her coat closer to her ears. The walk from the campus to the house was a long one, she could have taken the bus. However, she preferred the quiet time, this was the only time, as she had to let her mind wander. This day was especially peaceful. It was late so there was no traffic and the wind from the day had dulled down to a gentle breeze. It moved her disorderly hair more into her face as she walked with her head bent, watching the stray leaves flit across her path. She had always loved this time of year, watching the seasons change and her world morph around her.

* * *

She made it home at the same time Jamie pulled up in his car. He started to pull bags from the back seat.

"Hey Soph, wanna help me a sec?" He fumbled with a few bags and she took what was left and followed her brother into the house. "You're home later than usual."

"Yeah, Cassie demanded we stop at the Mocha Bean after class. I wanted to stop at the craft shop. I need a new journal."

They dropped the groceries on the floor of the little kitchen and proceeded to find a place to put everything. There wasn't much storage space, but they made due.

"Already? What happened to the one you bought a couple weeks ago? You filled that one already?" He closed the fridge and turned to the cans on the counter. She shrugged as she shoved the empty sacks into a closet and dropped down onto the couch.

"My dreams have been pretty heavy lately. I couldn't help it. Jamie, they're so vivid!" She lit up as she described her latest dreams. Jamie was the only one she could open up to about it. In all her time spent talking about her fairy tales, Jamie was the only one who looked at her, not with skepticism and not with a child's awe, but genuine interest as if she were telling him the events of that very day.

Jamie smiled as she came to a stopping point. "Sounds like a great time, Soph. I don't know why mom and dad ignore your talents. Your imagination is so expansive. Sometimes you even give me a sense of déjà vu." She smiled as she looked at the time.

"Well, the shop is clearly closed by now. I should turn in, I have a little research to do and I want to be up early to go get a new journal." She dismissed herself to her room and made her way down the hall to her little hide-away.

Her room isn't the biggest, only a twin bed, small desk with a matching dresser, and walls covered with her drawings. All her art was inspired by the dreams she'd had. She opted to skip studying and changed into her comfort clothes to lay on her bed and look at her pictures.

She fell asleep that way, her eyes wandering the images of large stone eggs, yetis building toys, dainty bird like fairies, and wispy strands of sand dancing over buildings. Always, the last image she'd see before sleep would take her was that of intricate spirals of frost and snow.

And as always, her windows would frost over after she fell into a slumber. It wouldn't thaw until she'd wake in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I wanted to wait a little longer to post this chapter...but I just couldn't wait! I want to give a quick thanks to my BETA bast4! **

**I don't own any rights to the characters or the movie. And of course...**

**PLEASE REVIEW :)**

* * *

Her surroundings were green, a vast, rolling wonderland. Flowers danced in a breeze she couldn't feel and large stones seemed to smile down at her. This was her favorite dream, she had been here countless times and each seemed as magical as the first. It drew out feelings she linked to her childhood, a freeing happiness that covered her skin and warmed her soul. "The Warren," she wasn't sure how her mind conjured the name. However, it whispered in her conscious and it was perfect.

More often than not, she was alone. Sometimes though, she'd catch sight of something scamper out of her peripherals. She'd chase after it, running through tunnels and laughing at the game thought up by no one. If she was lucky, she would catch whatever it was. And how strange of a thing, little eggs with feet, they would scurry in the air as she held them up for inspection. Then the dream would end as a fading voice spoke to her:

_'Happy Easter, ya lil ankle-biter."_

**BEEP-BEEP-BEEP**

She turned off her alarm, stretched and grabbed her sketch pad. Every morning, she would draw something from her dreams and find a space to place it. Because her walls were filled, she had taken to the ceilings to hang her pictures. She had a shelf stocked with binders, filled to the brim with her most cherished dreams. At the end of the shelf sat a weathered black folder. It was aged, but it held a few dreams- or nightmares. No matter how good or bad the dream was, Sophie recorded them.

After changing into her jeans and one of her painting tops, she grabbed her bag and walked down the hall, stopping half way to listen to her brother. Was he talking to someone?

"Ya know, you ask the same questions every day…..I don't know that for sure, I like to think so…Well, you don't exactly try either…maybe she has…"

"Jamie?" She raised a brow at her brother leaning against the door frame. "Who are you talking to?" He looked at her a little puzzled and glanced at the other side of the room and back.

"Um…just practicing what I'll say to Jerad. He's been going on about this girl, but he's too chicken sh-sh-sh…." He began to shiver.

Sophie cocked her head but made her way to the door, grabbing her coat to leave. "Ok, maybe you should tell him to be blunt. It sounds like he needs to man-up a little."

She slipped out the door as Jamie looked at Jack and the blank expression on his face.

"Be blunt and man-up Jack." Jamie straightened and turned for the back of the house.

* * *

Half way back from the craft store, Sophie was met by Cassie again. Her friend bound up to her in all her designer glory.

"Sophie! I'm glad I caught you. Hey, what are you scribbling about this time?" She stole the journal she was writing in. Sophie grabbed for it with no success.

"Cass, give that back!" Her friend eyed the book, reading the pages. She stopped and glanced at Sophie.

"You have quite the imagination Sophie, I'll give you that. But why about such childish things? Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are so played-out. You should find better fictitious figures." She tossed the book at her and kept walking.

Sophie jogged to catch up to her. "Played-out? Fine. How about…Jack Frost? The spirit of winter."

Cassie glanced at her.

"Still not original, Sophie. Jack Frost? Please, that's barely made it as a myth. AH!" Cassie shrieked as she slipped on the concrete…ice? She stifled a smile as she helped her friend up.

"What the hell was that?! It's too soon for ice. Now my jeans are ruined. I have to go. I'll see you in class later." She watched as her friend stormed off, shaking her head before continuing down the road.

She heard a faint laugh with the breeze as she walked. She stopped and did a survey of her surroundings. The wind swirled, making her shiver as she picked up the pace on her way home. As she got closer, she saw Jamie in the front yard. He appeared to be having a conversation…with nobody. Once within hearing range, she heard the conversation, or at least Jamie's side.

"You need to calm down…she did? Ha! You did?! …she did…hey, don't get ahead of yourself…we'll discuss that later. Yeah-yeah, go make a blizzard…"

"Jamie!?" He jumped. "Again? Mom and Dad may want me to grow out of my 'wild imagination,' but it's you that really has the problem." He didn't get a chance to defend himself as she laughed on her way inside.

* * *

Later that night, Sophie sat at her desk writing away in her journal. _Barely a myth. Hmph…so what if he's a myth. So what if they are all myths. _A gentle breeze circulated her room through her window. The late autumn air always soothed her while she wrote. _The dreams always seem so real and so relative, like I've lived them before. How can something so out-there just form in the mind?_

"Maybe I'm the crazy one…"

"Hardly."

Sophie was startled and leapt from her desk. Looking around her room for the voice, she saw nobody. "Jamie! Jamie, where are you?" She called urgently while still scanning her room.

Jamie came in looking at her worriedly. "What's the matter?" He looked around and held his eyes on her bed for a split second longer and averted them quickly, but Sophie caught it.

"Someone said something. Did you talk to me? What are you looking at?" She glanced at her empty bed and back at her brother. "Jamie, what is it?"

Jamie sighed and walked into her room.

"Soph, it's…your stories. They are real." He looked at her as if reciting the dictionary, so matter-of-factly. She eyeballed him again, not understanding it. "All of your stories and dreams, the people you talk about and describe, they are all real." She laughed at him in disbelief.

"Jamie, I thought you stopped _actually_ believing in that stuff? Mom had you see that doctor when you were seventeen, remember?"

"I just stopped telling them about it; they don't believe anymore. They don't see what is worth believing, but Sophie…" He gestured to all the images decorating her room. "You do. These aren't dreams, Sophie, they are memories."

Sophie folded her arms across her stomach and shrank back a little. "I don't get it. How can they be memories? How can this be real?"

Jamie hugged his sister. "Don't freak out, just take it in. Think about everything up until now. It's late, and some of us have to get up early. Talk tomorrow, k?"

Sophie nodded and sat on her bed after he closed the door. She looked to her desk and gasped when she noticed the surface was covered with frost. It was mesmerizing how the designs were dancing across the wood, expanding over the area. Faint snowflakes spun on the breath of air coming from her window. She couldn't speak as she watched the now-completely-iced desk lit up under the glow of the moonlight, and a word etched itself into the ice-covered framed picture of her and Jamie:

_-Believe-_


	3. Chapter 3

**Here we are again, the next chapter! I'm going to try and update as often as I can. I'm between semesters so I can make quite a bit of progress. Bare with me in the 'gaps' that might come later.**

**I hope you all are enjoying yourself so far, it will pick up I promise!**

**In the mean time, please review :) I need to know how I'm doing. And another thank you to my proofer, Kitty Goldtail, still awesome.**

* * *

Sophie's breath hitched in her throat.

"No freaking way… I've gone completely crazy. Haven't I? Maybe…" She inched closer to the desk, running her fingers over the designs. Her warm touch did nothing to melt the frost. As she got closer, she relaxed and almost giggled as she studied the intricate webs. Quickly, Sophie grabbed for her sketch pad and copied the motif to add to her collection. She was so caught up in her personal excitement that she never felt Jack's presence as he stood just outside of her vision, observing with confidence.

Sophie sat there the entire night, drawing and writing everything she was seeing. Unsure whether this was a dream or reality, she wasn't going to break the moment. It was just too much fun.

The night passed that way. Sophie fell into her mind's eye. Her journal became filled with memories from her childhood and the stories Jamie would tell her of the guardians. It had been years since she had really thought about them, but the images in her mind flowed easily into her words on the pages. Finally around 4:00 am, she stopped and relaxed in her chair. She couldn't remember the last time she wrote that long; it had taken a toll on her wrists. Massaging them, she chuckled.

_If only Jack Frost could give me some ice._

She stood and turned to go to sleep and almost fell over when her eyes fixed on the young man sleeping on her bed. He had a long wooden staff clutched in his hand. A soft white glow of frost donned the wood at his grasp. His hair was ghostly white, or maybe snowy. _Why isn't he wearing any shoes?_

Sophie held her breath as she studied the figure. Then she slipped out of her room to get a cold pack and some aspirin. On her way back, she could hear Jamie yelling at his sounding alarm. Once back in her room, she was slightly dispirited to see that the pale boy was gone. All that remained was a bit of melting frost on her comforter.

The next day, or later that morning, was miserable. Her class wasn't until noon, but by the time she was able to sleep it seemed to be barely a blink. Now, sitting in her composition seminar was torture. Thank the heavens she had Cassie. She may be the most materialistic woman Sophie had ever known, but she's a true friend who had always been there for her. She also made for a great villain in Sophie's stories. And now she's there to pass notes while the teacher droned on about grammar.

_I found the best dress for the party next weekend! We should go shopping Saturday to find your outfit!_

_It's only Tuesday, and the party isn't until NEXT weekend. And I'm not going shopping, I have clothes. Besides, who says I'm going?_

Sophie could hear Cassie having a mini-fit next to her and scribbling into the notebook.

_You ARE going, Sophie! Parker is going, and he would be perfect for you. We will find you something to wear and it will be EPIC!_

Sophie snorted and rolled her eyes.

_Whatever. So, last night before you fell, were you going to tell me something?_

_Yes, I was going to tell you that I figured out how to solve your inability to focus in a social situation. _

_Pretty sure it's not a problem, it's a character trait; it's called being a loner. As hard as it is to believe, I enjoy not being surrounded by a bunch of people with their drinking habits and cheesy pick-up lines._

Sophie closed the book, preventing Cassie from continuing the conversation and she walked out as the bell rang. Cassie may be her closest friend, but at this level of sleeplessness, she really knew how to get on a person's nerves.

"Sophie! Come on, Soph. Don't be like that." Cassie ran up to her, out of breath. "I mean, well, you know that we don't have to go shopping. You can just wear my old clothes." Cassie smiled as if her idea were the instant cure.

Sophie sighed at her and rubbed her temples. She hadn't had enough sleep to deal with this.

"Ok Cassie, sounds great."

Cassie lit up and squealed. "Oh perfect! Come over to my place Saturday night, ok? We'll drink cheap wine."

Sophie genuinely smiled this time. When it came down to it, Cassie really knew what she liked. They parted ways and Sophie trekked the familiar path home.

Today's walk wasn't as quiet as it normally was. Everyone was getting off work and busying themselves around town. Times like this Sophie would cut to the creek-bed that ran behind the campus towards the edge of town. It wasn't as long as she would like, but it was peaceful and when there wasn't snow it was easy to walk. As she slipped down into the creek-bed she saw the first snow start to fall.

It was beautiful, magical even. The flakes were huge and fluffy, and they clustered together as they fell and clung to the branches above her. This was her favorite kind of snow fall. A soft breeze blew just enough to make the delicate crystals swirl in front of her as she walked. It almost appeared to be a dance taking place all around her. The feeling made her light and a smile swelled on her face. She picked up speed to an almost-run and the wind matched her. The snow became more frenzied and a thicker sheet began to fall. Before long, a game like the ones in her dreams had formed. She dodged the bigger clusters and chased the ones that would spiral just out of reach. It didn't take long until she was at the rotting posts that marked the edge of her brother's property. Through a fit of giggles and short breaths, she was back home, a little beet faced from the chill.

The wind had died again and now it was just thick flakes falling at a leisurely pace. Already a blanket had formed to cover the grass. If it didn't let up, her classes for the next day would be canceled. Coming in the back-door, she realized it was too quiet for Jamie to be home. She checked her phone and it showed a waiting text.

-be home tomorrow, stay safe tonight Soph!-

"Guess it's just me and the snow tonight."

She took to her usual post-class routine of a snack and light cleaning, followed by a little more writing. After a couple of hours, it was a complete wonderland outside. Times like this made it impossible to sit inside, so, like the child in her suggested, she grabbed her coat and went out to enjoy the snow. The neighbor children were already outside playing together. They had little snowmen built in the yards and were now working on a fort. She loved those kids. Out of all the children in the large group, Maggie and Sean were her favorites. They reminded her so much of her daycare kids, and they adored her. She watched them build, play, and chatter with each other animatedly.

She was about to join them when she saw the boy from that morning drop down from a tree near them. He still had that stick. The kids jumped excitedly and ran to him. He told them something and they ran in opposite directions squealing. The little girl, Maggie, ran towards Sophie.

"Sophie! Come on, we need to build a fort!" Sophie smiled and followed the girl to the side of the house. "Ok! We can hide behind the bushes. Let's make snowballs, Sophie! Hurry before they have more than we do."

Sophie laughed and grabbed a handful of snow. "Who are you playing with? That boy?"

"It's Jack frost! He brought us the snow so we can play all day tomorrow!"

Sophie's face dropped a little, puzzled. "Jack Frost? Like the guardians?"

Maggie wasn't listening anymore as she giggled with one of her friends.

SMACK

Sophie's neck instantly froze from the harsh cold of the snowball as it exploded into her hair. She whipped around to find the assailant and only saw that boy. He stood laughing at her, half leaning on his staff. She squinted at him and threw a snowball, hitting him square in the face.

Maggie laughed and yelled at him. "She got you, Jack!"

All Sophie or Jack could do was stare.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are again! I hope I'm updating soon enough for you guys. I don't want to give it to you all at once though. :) **

**A thank you to my great BETA bast4! And remember, I don't have any ownership of these characters. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He couldn't believe it. Not only had he been hit by a snowball for the first time in his long life, but he was hit by the young woman that shouldn't believe in him. Now she was staring straight at him. It seemed as if the world slowed to a near halt. Jack watched Sophie, gauging her reaction. Her eyes never left him. He'd never forget the subtle shine of belief that formed in her green irises. It had been years since he had seen that shine. He never expected to see it again. Over the years, he had half-expected Jamie to stop believing. The boy's unwavering faith was the first bit of strength and joy Jack had felt before becoming a guardian. Jamie's part in Sophie's life could be what saved Sophie's child-like soul from being snuffed out entirely. And now, the overwhelming excitement of it all broke through as Jack leapt into the air doing a back-flip. Sophie startled and took a step back.

"You can see me? Sophie?" He walked towards her with a goofy grin. "Jamie was right, and I had thought…..you can see me!" He laughed, grabbing his head to make sure he wasn't losing it. Sophie hadn't seemed to have snapped out of her daze, so Jack contained his excitement. He slowly inched forward with a reassuring smile.

"Sophie, do you remember me?" She was still mute, and almost looked like a statue. "You can see me. Sophie, do you know what that means? Sophie?" As he reached his arm out, her eyes broke away from his face to follow his hand. When he made contact with her coat, he heard a choked squeak come from her throat.

The children were oblivious of the two as the kids carried on with their snowball war. It took a few minutes, but Sophie finally relaxed. Jack was still reeling from the situation, though he tried to contain himself for her sake. This would take some explaining.

Sophie took a step back and composed herself. After a deep breath she was able to speak. "So…Jack Frost. You…am I dreaming again?" Jack shook his head. "I'm not. Well that changes things a little." She thought about it a little longer. A thought clicked in her head raising a new question. "You mentioned Jamie. Jamie believes in you?"

"He never stopped." Jack gave her a crooked smile and played with a snowflake that floated down from the trees. His confidence in Jamie was clear and made him grin a little wider.

"So, all the stories about you weren't just stories. They were true." The shock was starting to wear off and Sophie completely let go. "Holy Buckets! You are real?! All of you?" She jumped and laughed, and it was infectious.

"Yes! Every one of us!" He shook his head like a bobble-head and felt a slight sense of déjà vu as he recalled the time when Jamie first believed in him.

Sophie laughed again as one of the kids almost got her with a snowball. Brought back to reality, she ran after the kids, throwing icy ammunition back and forth. Her laughter could be heard across the neighborhood as she tried to catch the children with snow. The feeling was so light and freeing, she thought she might float away.

Jack stood back to watch as everyone ran around. Snowmen and forts formed all over the neighborhood. Fun could be heard in the laughter and playful screams of the children. This was Jack's center; his world revolved around this feeling and these kids, and it would never be the same thing again.

It snowed just a little heavier.

It had to be the most magical day Sophie could remember experiencing. She could fill five journals with everything spinning around in her head. It would all have to wait though, her exhaustion had caught up to her. The sun was setting on the still-falling snow as the children were called home by their parents. Sophie was soaked and the chill was starting to cause an ache at her core. Jack stood next to her, leaning on his staff.

"It still seems so unreal. I mean…you are real." She turned to him with a genuine smile.

He cocked his head at her and stood straight. "You're telling me. I thought Jamie would be the only adult to ever see me. And here you've gone from believing, to 'growing up'-" he crinkled his nose at the words, making Sophie laugh. "To believing again. It's a big feat."

Sophie yawned and stretched before turning to the house.

"Well, I have a million questions; however, I'm far too exhausted to get any answers. I was up all night because of a little frosty distraction on my desk. I'm guessing it was your doing?"

Jack smirked as he caught the wind. "Hey, it was only a little fun, and your drawings are great." And with a big gust he was gone.

Sophie watched as he soared high into the sky through a break in the clouds before closing the door. She unthawed herself with a hot shower before making a mug of hot chocolate stuffed with marshmallows. Grabbing her favorite blanket and the remote, she made her nest to watch TV. It didn't take long before she was asleep on the couch with the glow of the TV reflecting off her face.

Yes, this had been the most eventful day she'd had in years.

The next morning, just as Maggie had said, there would be no school for anyone, be it elementary, high-school, or college. The snow had stopped, but the roads would be closed until at least the afternoon. Sophie didn't expect Jamie home until late that evening. She smiled to herself thinking about the previous day and suspected that today would be just the same. Hurriedly, she got out of bed and ready for the day. Sure enough, when she checked the news, the endless list of school-closings had hers on it.

_A snow day! How long has it been since I've had one of those? High school? Maybe even longer._ The idea excited her even more and Sophie jumped around the house. It was like she was ten years younger. She felt so giddy and just free. However, as much as she wanted to run straight out the door, the small adult voice said she should tend to her homework. It was a sad but true fact. She spent the weekend drawing and still no progress on her schoolwork over the last three days. There was a paper due Friday and a worksheet to finish. So, Sophie rounded up her school bag and drug her feet back to her room. It was only eight, so she could study for three hours and still have time after lunch to go outside.

She'd start on the worksheet first; grammar was always easy for her. When you write as much as she does, you tend to pick up on it. Twenty minutes passed and it was done. Sophie smiled and gazed out her window as she started to see the kids gathering to play their games. Pouting, she looked back at her papers. This wasn't fun at all.

Another hour and a half passed before she heard a rap at her window. Before she could answer, Jack was letting himself in. He had a grin on his face as he greeted her.

"Hey Soph! Aren't you gonna come out and play? They are starting snow sculptures. I bet you'd be really good at that." Sophie smiled at his offer before turning to her paper again, a little solemn.

"I can't. I have to finish this." She was quiet as she continued to write. Jack watched for a moment before raising his staff with a smirk on his face. He brought his arm down swiftly, effectively scattering her papers in a swirling wind.

"What the!? JACK!"

"Now you can come out!" Jack gave her his signature smirk and flew out the window.

Sophie wasn't sure if she should laugh or yell. She settled for gathering her papers into a pile and taking one glance out the window.

"I still have later tonight." And with that she was out the door.

Hours were spent making snowmen, having snowball fights and all out free-for-alls. A late lunch break gave her a chance to check with Jamie. The roads had been cleared and he would be home around five. Sophie almost told him right then that she had been spending her time with Jack, but decided it would be best to tell him in person. The snow may have stopped, but the winter bite was still there. Sophie decided to retire to the warm comfort of the living-room for the rest of the day. She loved to play with the children, but no matter how young at heart she was, she just couldn't keep up forever. Jack followed her inside to wait for Jamie.

They sat and talked and Sophie asked questions, which Jack turned into a game.

"So, the Warren."

"Yes, you gave Bunny a scare when we showed up and you were there. It took months before his eggs would stop running."

"Did Jamie go?"

"No, Sandy knocked him out first." Sophie smiled as she recalled Jamie telling her the story of when he first met the guardians.

"So The Sandman is real, and the tooth fairy?"

"Yes and yes."

"Vampires?"

Jack quirked a brow at her in a dead-pan way. "Not real."

"Santa…North"

"Real, of course."

"Real Russian, according to Jamie." They both laughed.

"Ok, how about...I don't know, The Boooogey Man?" Sophie laughed to herself this time.

"Real." Jack sat quietly.

"Oh." Sophie began to fidget a little.

"But he's just bad dreams."

"He brings the bad dreams, right?" Jack nodded. "And Sandy protects the children from them?"

"Right."

"Then can he protect _me_ from them?"

* * *

**A quick thank you to those that review,**

**The-Unnamed-Artist, I'm glad you like it so far. Thank you for your reviews each time. :)**

**rats xp- your excitement is getting me excited!** **Thank you for reviewing, I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

**Avatar Kyoshi-Thank you so much! I am having a great deal of fun doing this. I'm glad you are enjoying it so far! :D**

**Lolita Girl55-I love her too! She was so adorable as a child, I can't help but want to make her my center ^_^ I'm glad you are enjoying it!**

**Thank you to everyone that reads! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I hope everyone is enjoying themselves so far. **

**Remember minimum wage is not good so tip respectfully[REVIEW!] ;)**

**Recognition goes to bast4, thank you for your help!**

**Without further delay...**

* * *

Sophie was writing in her journal when she heard Jamie pull in. Jack was outside with the kids after they came back from their lunch. Every now and then he would peek in on her. He almost seemed to be checking to make sure he was still noticeable.

"Sophie! You home? Took forever, the roads still aren't great." Jamie came to her door. "Of course you'd be in here. Hope you weren't too bored while I was gone."

Sophie gave him an amused smile as Jack came up to the window again with a knock. Jamie looked up at him and was about to excuse himself when Sophie acknowledged the guardian.

"Hi Jack. You can let yourself in. You've done it all afternoon."

Jamie's mouth dropped as he listened to them talk. It took 5 minutes for him to find his voice. "Wait, it worked? You can see him? Sophie! You believe?" He laughed and hugged his sister.

That evening was filled with talking and explanations. Jamie and Jack told Sophie stories and she jotted every word into her journal. Midnight came to them in a hurry and the day's events were right behind it. Sophie yawned as she massaged her wrists. Jamie excused himself to bed, leaving Sophie and Jack alone. There was a momentary silence as Jack formed a small arc of snow to fit her wrist.

"Here, you haven't stopped rubbing it since yesterday."

"Thanks, I write every day. But, it's been so long since I've written this much." She ran the snow over her wrist, the cool temperature alleviated the pain almost instantly.

"Why do you write so much? Jamie has told you most of these stories before."

Sophie idly played with the melting snow. "When I was about thirteen, I started to become detached from the other kids my age. I told them about the adventures Jamie had with you and the other guardians. They didn't think they were as cool as I did. They laughed at me and said I was a baby. Mom and Dad started to 'humor' me less. Jamie was the only one who didn't judge me, but it wasn't enough. I couldn't make the stories stop forming in my dreams and I couldn't get enough of Jamie's tales, so I started to write them down. Every time I had a thought I would write it down. It wasn't long before it was second-nature. Kids stopped bullying me. My parents didn't give me tolerant looks, if they looked at me at all." Sophie made herself comfortable in her bed as Jack sat on the end waiting for her to say more.

"Is that why you stopped believing? The other kids?"

"No, I think my worlds melded together. What I used to experience and what I dreamed about no longer separated in my head. Everything started to seem like one big story. I think that's what did it."

Jack frowned, but shook the feeling away. "It's not one big story anymore. Now you'll have new and better memories to fill your journals with." Sophie smiled at him. Jack stood to make his way to the window.

"Thank you, Sophie." Before she could reply, he was out the window.

* * *

Her surroundings were dark, so she walked. She held her hands out in front of her, reaching for anything that might give her a sense of where she was, but nothing came. The silence was deafening and she could feel herself slowly losing her mind. Tears started to sting her eyes and the lonely feeling started to weigh down on her.

As the sobs broke loose, she started to hear faint voices. They seemed to grow closer and her surroundings started to take shape. She was in school, sitting on the floor. Her classmates were surrounding her, glaring at her.

"Freakish baby!"

"Weirdo."

"Loser."

"Why don't you go play with your fake friends?"

"You don't belong here!"

The voices grew louder as they all joined in the taunting. No matter how much she screamed, no one helped her. The children began to fade and were replaced with a scene at home. Her parents were shaking their heads at her.

"Your brother is bad enough, Sophie. Why can't you be like the other good children in your grade?" Sophie started to cry as they walked away. She begged them to stop but they faded.

Now she was left in the dark again, alone with her sobs echoing in her ears.

"Sophie?"

_Jamie?_

"Sophie!"

_It is Jamie._

"Sophie, where are you?"

"Jamie! Jamie, help me!"

He was in front of her with Jack next to him. They looked at her concerned, but neither moved.

"Jack? Oh Jamie, thank god."

As she moved towards him, he took a step and doubled over. He coughed violently, a black sludge tinted with blood splattered over the ground. Jack watched as Sophie tried to help Jamie. The coughing ceased to stop and more of the black substance came up. Now it was coating his eyes and coming from his nose. She panicked as he started to slowly suffocate in her arms. When she looked to Jack, he was staring at her with a neutral expression. As she yelled to him he started to fade, leaving her helpless to Jamie's suffering. In a few agonizing minutes he stopped moving. The silence enveloped her again as she held her brother's lifeless body.

Once again, she started to hear her name. This time it wasn't relief she felt, it was a heightened sense of fear. This voice was her worst nightmare. She immediately started to tremble and the voice laughed at her, mocking her.

"Bask in your fear, Sophie."

"NOOOOO..."

She jolted awake in a cold sweat. Jamie was standing over her and Jack was at the foot of the bed. She looked back and forth between the two before grabbing for Jamie. She rambled to him as he tried to console her. It took a few minutes for her heart to stop pounding painfully in her chest.

"It was just a bad dream, Sophie." Jack mumbled.

"Jamie…" She didn't need to finish her sentence before he was up and grabbing the beaten black journal. He left it by her before leaving the room. She wasted no time and began to write in it. Jack never took his eyes off her.

"Sophie, what was it?"

"A nightmare."

"Why are you writing it down then? Why would you want to remember that?"

"I write down all my dreams, including the bad ones. I have to."

"But why?"

"To know the difference; to remember that everything isn't a fairytale."

Jack watched her for a while. He seemed to be mulling something over. Abruptly, he stood and straightened his sweatshirt, throwing the hood over his head.

"Will you be ok?"

"I've had nightmares before. I'll be ok."

Jack nodded and excused himself from the room. Sophie leaned against the wall as she closed the journal. It was only a dream, but it still lingered at the edges of her consciousness. She could almost feel it whispering and waiting to take hold of her again. The idea was unnerving. She started to ready herself for the day, attempting to distance her mind from the dark fringes of her fears. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget the voice laughing at her.

* * *

**Another one down :) Thank you again for everyone that reviews. You make it that much more fun for me, I love your feedback!**

**The-Unnamed-Artist: I'm glad it was a twist, but you didn't even wait for the nightmare to happen! :P**

**Lolita Girl55: Maybe they will show up...or maybe Jack will do everything himself. But that wouldn't be fun...but it wouldn't be the norm. The possibilities are endless! :O glad you enjoyed ;)**

**Wilona Riva: Thankfully her good journals to bad journals ratio is very big, but what dreams she has really pack a punch!**

**Rats xp: I'm glad you are enjoying it still! :) :)**

**Avatar Kyoshi: I think I put a link at the bottom of chapter four, it may not be very prominent...or maybe its a dud...hmmm :/**


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh everyone! Your reviews have been amazing. I appreciate them so much, it makes me feel so great and really pushes me to write more. Please keep it up guys! :D**

**And another big thank you to bast4, you have really helped this story along!**

**Now, lets get going shall we!**

* * *

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Sophie had class, finished her paper and in a blink, it was Saturday. Cassie wouldn't let her forget about their get together that day, as much as she was dreading it. Jack had popped in on Friday to check up on them and dust the town with some fresh powder. He had the whole world to play with so she didn't expect to see him much.

She had a few hours before Cassie would come to whisk her away, so she busied herself with helping Jamie in the garage. He had been living in his house for nearly 2 years and still had boxes to go through. Sophie had been sorting through boxes of old photo albums, mostly family but every now and then she'd find a picture of them building a snowman or hunting for Easter eggs. What really caught her was seeing the differences in these photos. She'd seen them plenty of times, but now she was noticing Jack floating above the snowmen and the Easter Bunny hiding behind bushes. These memories made her smile. She gathered them into a pile and put them in her bag.

"Ha! Soph, check this out…" Jamie pulled a box over to where she sat. "Remember these? Our dream catchers that North made for us."

Sophie palmed the circular web of colorful threads. "Wow, they still look like new, even after all this time."

"I never did have a single bad dream when I had this up. Look, you can still see some of the Sand Man's sand in the threads." He pointed to the sparkling threads before moving back to the other opened boxes.

Sophie eyed the keepsake a little longer before placing it in her pocket. Cassie would be there soon, so Sophie dismissed herself. Just as she was brushing out her hair, Cassie honked from the street. She waved from the window and rushed out the door.

"Bye, Jamie, I'll be back later." Jamie waved as she hopped in the car and they were off.

"This will be so fun, I already laid out my best stuff. We'll have you fixed up before the first bottle of wine is gone." Cassie beamed at her as they came to a red light.

"Now you are taking away all the fun." Sophie winked at her friend and they both laughed and chattered about monotonous things the rest of the way.

After an hour, Sophie was feeling a buzz from the cheap wine and almost enjoying herself. Cassie had her in a short jacket with a floral top. The jeans were dark and ironed with a crease.

"Come on, Soph, now the heels!" Cassie dropped to her stomach on her bed and pulled out a pair of shoes from under the bed.

"No way, you know I can't walk in heels." Sophie crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Pleeeeeease?" Cassie rolled to her back and stuck her lip out at Sophie

Sophie shrugged and dropped to the floor, holding her feet up.

Cassie laughed and strapped her in, and then she made her walk. As much as Sophie tried she could only do as good as a wobble.

"I don't know about this Ca…" She heard a low chuckle, looking at the window revealed Jack sitting on the sill grinning at her. Seeing him caused her to miss a step. "Ah!"

"Sophie! Are you ok? I'll grab an ice pack." Cassie left the room.

Sophie looked at Jack as he stepped away from the window. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

"What are you doing?"

"Me? Oh, just enjoying the entertainment. You can stand on these about as well as Bunny on ice." Jack poked at her feet with his staff and laughed loudly at her expression.

"Rude. Why are you here?" She tried to tug the shoes off but had to settle for fumbling with the buckles.

"I came to visit. Jamie said you had just left so I found and followed you. What is all of this for?" Jack walked around the room inspecting the various piles of clothes and crinkled his nose as he caught a wiff of some very potent perfume.

Sophie tossed the shoes in the corner and took the next item behind Cassie's changing screen. "Cassie is trying to get me to a party next weekend. She thinks putting me in her clothes helps the situation."

"What situation?"

"My lack of social skills, I'm pretty awkward with people." She mumbled as she tried to figure out where the top of the next outfit was.

Jack frowned. "You talk to me and Jamie just fine and all the kids like you."

Sophie stepped out from the screen and messed her hair. "That's different…"

"I'll say." Sophie startled as Cassie walked in the room. "You look great. I think we found a winner. Sophie, blue is so your color."

She was wearing a halter dress with a scooped neckline. The bodice was form fitting and met the flared A-line skirt with a sheer sash tied at the waist. The fabric felt wonderful and floated gracefully when Sophie shifted her weight. She fidgeted under Cassie's gaze and feeling Jack's stare made her blush darker.

"Sophie, this is perfect. Now, we just need to find you the right heels and…"

"Cassie, No! I draw the line there. I'm wearing flats. I'll find that on my own, I may still have some."

Cassie sighed but agreed. She seemed to be pleased that Sophie was cooperating thus far.

"I don't suppose we could fix your hair then?"

"What's wrong with my hair?" She started to get defensive and crossed her arms over her chest. At that moment, her lopsided bangs took their chance to fall in her face.

"That right there is the problem. I understand you are artistic and stuff, but does that mean you have to have abstract hair? I've seen pictures from when you were little, it was cute back then. Now it just looks crazy, like you cut it yourself."

"I do cut it myself."

Cassie shook her head. "We need to fix this." As Cassie took a step forward, Sophie grabbed her bag.

"Fat chance, Cass. You got me dressed up, consider that the win. I need to head home."

"Already? But I'm too buzzed to drive you." What was left of Cassie's light mood evaporated as she sat down and played with the empty bottle of wine.

"I'll walk; I enjoy it. Thank you for the dress. It's beautiful." She pulled on her sweats and walked out of the house.

Jack met her around the front and followed her home. The last 15 minutes in the house Sophie had made a conscious effort not to look at Jack, but she could feel him seriously watching her the entire time. It was uncomfortable having someone eyeing her so closely who wasn't Cassie. Now as he walked next to her, she dared a peak at him. He appeared to be minding himself, looking ahead of them. Her shoulders relaxed and her steps became more fluid.

"It's very pretty. I like the blue." He cocked his head at her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.

"Don't you have a snow storm to deliver somewhere?"

"Nah, I did it last night. There are quite a few happy kids in Michigan today." Sophie smiled and hugged her arms closer to herself. She didn't think of the fact that she didn't have a coat and shivered a little. Jack noticed it and smiled. "Why don't we get you home?"

Before Sophie had a chance to register what he said, she was up in the air. Jack had swung his staff hard, causing a gust to lift her up. She was soaring above the town now. Adrenaline pumped in her head and a strangled yell was all she could muster. Jack sailed beside her with a big grin.

"This is your idea of getting me home?! Walking was just fine. Get me down, now!"

"Come on, Soph. Just look around." Jack rolled to his back and gestured below them.

She swallowed and focused on the surroundings below her. It was amazing. The snow from earlier that week was still thick and turned the landscape into a softly rolling canvas. The cleared roads and roofs made hard angles and shapes into the engulfing white, making a striking contrast. Soon the clouds cleared and the sun shone on everything making Sophie gasp in awe. The already breathtaking scenery became indescribable. The light created an intense sparkle that Sophie wanted to capture forever.

She laughed and visibly relaxed as the wind carried her. Soon she was spinning and challenging Jack with acrobatics. As they neared her neighborhood, Sophie drifted lower. When they were over the backyard, the wind stopped completely. She dropped into a drift with a yelp.

Jack was laughing when she popped her head up. Snow had clumped in her hair and some was sliding down her face. She glared up at him and grabbed the bare foot in her reach and pulled him into the drift.

"You are forgetting that when you play jokes or pull pranks on me, I can see you. And I can make you pay for it."

She threw snow in his face and a snowball fight ensued. Sophie ran around towards the front of the house and almost into Jamie. When she ducked the snowball meant for her, it hit Jamie in the neck. She laughed but didn't stop running. Jack almost barreled into Jamie himself but a quick sweep to the left saved him. Once Jamie composed himself, he joined in the fun. Their laughter escalated, drawing attention from the kids. Soon the whole neighborhood was in a frenzy, even some of the parents came out to join in the fun.

Sophie and some of the little girls had built a fort and she was preparing ammo for them to hurl at the boys. As Maggie stood to aim, an unusually hard snowball caught her in the mouth.

"Sophie!" Maggie whined as she plopped back on the ground holding her mouth.

Sophie crouched next to her. "Open up, let me see." When she did there was a prominent gap in her teeth and a single tooth in her hand. "What a lucky girl. The Tooth Fairy is gonna be making a visit to you tonight."

"Who?"

"You don't know? Oh, you are in for a treat."

Sophie proceeded to explain who the Tooth Fairy was and what she did. As she told the tale, more children gathered around to listen. She was in her element now. Her arms moved around animatedly, telling the children stories. Jack sat beside her, grinning and admiring her energy. Her ability to tell stories and spark the children's creativity was something he hadn't seen before. She encouraged all the kids to contribute to the stories and use their imagination to see it in their minds. She had a real gift.

* * *

**The-Unnamed_Artist: I'm glad it doesn't seem forced, a great deal of what you are reading was written in the course of a few days. I have about 5 chapters stock piled ahead of this just waiting to be posted. :)**

**pottercouples1216: That makes me so happy! :D I'm glad I could help give you that little push to work on your stories. I can't wait to read it :)**

**rats xp: all in good time ^_^ I think they are making a cute little pair so of course there will be more!**

**Lolita Girl55: Your analysis sums things up wonderfully. I really couldn't have said it better myself. You grasped exactly what I was going for. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**On to more excitement. I hope to hear you are all still enjoying yourselves, and what is left of this summer. Where did it go? **

**A thank you to bast4 for your lovely proofing. **

**I do not own any of these characters, I just love to write about them!**

* * *

The next week was full of activity. Sophie didn't have class for thanksgiving so Jamie drove them to their parents to gorge themselves. She slept the whole way. The past few days had drained her. During the day she would write and draw. In the evenings she would join Jack and the children to play in the snow. Once the sun set, Jack would keep her up all night asking questions about her stories or telling her about the new games he'd found to play. Well, she would egg it on just as much as him, so it wasn't entirely his fault. Either way, they were spending a lot of time together. Sophie told Jack everything. In the course of a few days, Jack had passed Cassie as her best friend, god forbid she ever knew that. It had been an amazing week, she was the happiest she'd been in years. Going home to Burgess was quickly dampening her mood though. Her parents loved her, but she knew she had to be reserved compared to her normal self. She pulled her hair back and pinned up the stray pieces. Her clothes seemed out of place and she was left over-all uncomfortable.

Thankfully Jack followed them and after a few pleasantries she was able to go 'be alone.' Now she walked out in the woods with Jack to the frozen pond where he was reborn. There, Sophie sat on a downed tree to kill time.

"I used to come out here on the days when the kids were exceptionally mean. I loved to watch the light filter through the leaves..." She smiled to herself. "or the snow swirl on the ice. In the back of my mind, I would still think it was you." Jack smiled and tapped the bark with his staff forming intricate designs.

"Sometimes it was. You came here a lot. There were a few times I heard the kids laughing as you walked by on your way here. I'd make them all slip on the ice." Sophie chuckled and they headed back.

After dinner and a little time spent watching the football game, they said their goodbyes. Sophie hugged her dad and then her mom.

"You seem different, Sophie. You seem happier, I guess college agrees with you. I'm glad." Her mom stepped away with a look of pride. Sophie smiled and waved before they left.

* * *

Two days later, it was time for the party that Sophie had no desire to attend. She convinced Cassie she'd meet her there. At this point she valued each second of alone-time she had. She brushed her hair slowly then put it in a ponytail high on top of her head. All the shorter layers fell and framed her face. Make-up was a lost cause, she had never been good at it. After she put the dress on, she checked herself in the mirror before heading out the door.

The party was everything she dreaded it to be. There were throngs of people and music pulsed in her ears, she could feel a head ache forming already. It didn't take long to find Cassie in the center of a crowd. The girl yelled to Sophie, forcing all eyes on her.

"Sophie! There you are, I thought you weren't coming. Come on, I've been talking about you to Parker. He's so interest. I can tell!" She tugged on Sophie's arm, leading her into the dense group of people. Sophie cringed, completely regretting coming at all.

"Parker, you remember Sophie."

The boy looked her up and down then smiled, holding out his hand. "Sophie."

"Hi." She didn't take the offered gesture, but grabbed a drink instead. He didn't seem fazed and smirked at her.

"Care to join me? We can get to know each other."

"Of course she will!" Cassie pushed her forward before Sophie had a chance to object. He turned away and she was forced to follow him.

The night air was crisp and cold, as it would be in November. Sophie had no guard against the icy chill and she could feel the goose bumps forming across her open back. Parker still took her outside. It was quiet and dark and Sophie's heart started to beat a little faster.

"So, what's your major?"

"Creative writing." She fidgeted and looked around her dark surroundings to find some sort of distraction.

"How can you make a career out of that?" He snorted then leaned against a fence post, cocking a brow at her. "You aren't going to write fairy tales are you?" He laughed at his own joke and Sophie's muscles tensed.

"I don't write fairy tales. I write what I see and what I know is true about everyday life."

"Well, what do you see now?" He walked forward, backing her into a tree.

"Um..." Her heart beat faster and her blood pumped in her ears. She looked around for a way out.

As her fear grew, the edges of her vision became dark. Her alarm intensified and as it did her surroundings morphed a little. The backyard became slightly dead, the plants curled in on themselves. When she looked at Parker again, her breath hitched. His eyes were glowing and he had a sickening smile that creeped across his face. Time seemed to slow down for a moment and her fear took over. All her senses ceased to work and she panicked in her mind. Then all at once, she broke free and screamed. Her limbs jerked and pushed Parker back. She lost her footing and fell to the ground panting.

"What is your problem? God damn it, you hit my nose!" He yelled as he held his now bleeding nose.

The other party goers had gathered in the yard and were all staring at her. The fresh fear flooded her mind with images from her younger years.

"Sophie, what happened?" Cassie stepped from the crowd. She looked confused and embarrassed, maybe slightly worried.

"She started to mumble some weird crap and when I said what, she screamed and hit me in the face! She's a psycho! This is the girl you've been talking about? Not even close!" Parker spat the words in Sophie's face. Cassie laughed and nervously looked around.

Sophie's head fell and her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. The fear still suffocated her mind so she did the only thing she felt capable of. She hopped the fence and ran into the trees.

The snow was still deep and started to cause an ache in her legs but she kept moving. Branches caught her face and pulled her hair. Her vision was blurred and her head stayed clouded. She couldn't form any sentences, but she managed to yell the first thing to reach her consciousness.

"Jack!" Tears started and she yelled again. "Jack, help!"

A familiar gust caught her and she was lifted up. Her sobs broke loose as she curled in on herself. She could feel Jack grab her arm and cradle her. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter and continued to cry. The fear was clearing and she was starting to think and recall everything.

"Sophie, what happened? Are you hurt? Why were you out there?" All she could manage was to shake her head. He didn't press anymore and the rest of the time was spent silent besides her soft crying, as Jack flew her home.

Once in her room she felt drained and stumbled across the floor. Jack caught her before she hit the ground and helped her to her bed when Jamie came in.

"Woah, Sophie, you look terrible. Are you ok? Jack?" Jamie looked between the two, a little scared as he attempted to help tend to his sister.

"I don't know what happened. I found her yelling for me in the woods. You may want to get a blanket or something. She's too cold."

Jamie nodded and hurried away. Jack sat at Sophie's feet and pulled her shoes off. Her feet didn't feel warm and he frowned. Jamie came back with a heated blanket and wrapped her up. During this time, Sophie didn't say a word, not once. She only stared forward and let them move her around. Once she was wrapped up snug, Jamie went to make her some hot chocolate. Jack sat on the floor watching her face, she wouldn't look at him. Not a single emotion betrayed her blank expression.

"Sophie, tell us what happened. You're safe now." Her eyes refocused and part of her normal-self returned.

"It seemed so real, I thought I was going crazy. They all stared at me."

The last wall broke and she told them everything, sparing no detail. She told them about her discomfort with Parker and Jamie's face hardened. She told them the images that formed and the indescribable fear it caused. Jack's eyes fixated on the floor as he listened and the space between his brows grew smaller. As she finished she felt more like herself and started to draw in the dark journal. It was quiet for a short time.

"Didn't you say it was the same as one of your dreams?" Jack questioned as he mentally sorted through what she had told them.

"Almost, I felt the same and there were a few similar moments." She closed her journal and set it aside. "What does it matter?"

"It may not matter at all, but it's something we need to monitor."

"You can't protect me, Jack. You protect the children. I may believe in you but I'm not a child anymore. It was just a bad dream that lingered longer than normal. It played tricks on my eyes."

Jack's eyes widened and he stood. "I'm going to figure this out. Until I do, keep this with you." He handed her the dream catcher Jamie had found the week before. "It should help."

"Where did you find this?"

"I saw the sand coming out of your pocket." He glanced at Jamie briefly and back at Sophie before walking to the door with Jamie on his heels, leaving Sophie alone.

She rolled the catcher around in her hand watching the little bits of gold swirl with it. She sighed and looked at her dream journal. The cover had a dark glint to it and a grainy feel when she ran her hand over the surface.

_Dark Sand?_

* * *

**Oh boy...a smidge of a cliff hanger. As always, please review. I love to read them and say hello in the next chapter. :)**

**The-Unnamed-Artist: Your review made me giddy, I love when she flies too, I'm envious actually. But who wouldn't be? Thank you!**

**Lolita Girl55: I thought her hair was adorable when she was little and it just made sense to keep it since she is the 'odd ball' and artistic :) Glad you are enjoying yourself still!**

**rats xp: I can tell! your excitement feeds my excitement! :D It makes me so giddy that you are still liking this!**

**pottercouples1216: I did actually read your story, :) And I like it! Can't wait for your next chapter, it makes me feel so good to know I helped you get started! Thank you for following :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here we are again! I got so excited to post the next chapter I almost forgot to add my little tidbits! **

**Anyway, I do not own any rights to these characters. AND a thank you to my BETA bast4. you do lovely work. :)**

* * *

"Oh dear, sweet Sophie, you will work wonderfully. You have such an important role, you and your delicate imagination."

He ran his ashen fingers over the stone surface of the globe. The steady glow of the lights cast shadows and deep angles across his face. He slowly smiled as he stopped at the golden light that was Sophie.

* * *

"Jack, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Not likely, I can't see anything. Can I take this blindfold off now?"

"Be patient. We are almost there, just a little farther."

They were soaring above the clouds with Sophie on Jack's back. He had woken her up before the sun and given her barely enough time to put warm clothes on. He hadn't given her a clue to where they were headed. All he did was promise a safe ride and a destination worth waiting for. Her excitement was palpable in the air and even though she couldn't see, she sat high on Jack's back feeling the wind wash over her face. Every now and again, she would dare to let go of his hoodie and stick her arms out. He would allow only a moment of it, then he would do a spin, making her squeal and hold tight once more.

Ever since the party, Jack had changed almost overnight to her personal physical guardian. He couldn't stop the dreams but he made sure to protect her from everything else. The only time she had alone was to change or shower. She didn't mind his company but she worried he was neglecting his duties as a guardian. After some convincing, he would be away for two days a week to play with the kids, so long as she promised to stay home.

It was warming to have someone fret over her, and down-right comical that it was a guardian. She was patient with him though, and sometimes teased him to remind him she wasn't made of glass. He still wouldn't let her feel the wind on her own.

"Jack, you are supposed to bring fun, but you are sucking it all away from me! Fun-sucker."

She heard him chuckle and then do a roll, letting her go. She started to fall and initially felt terror seize her muscles. Then, as the blind fold flew from her eyes, she saw Jack following her down with a grin on his face and she felt alright. She spun so she could look below, but all that surrounded her was cloud. She held out her hands and watched the white sift between her fingers. She shifted her weight to glide around just like Jack had shown her. The feeling she got from free falling was hard to define but it heightened her excitement and she let out a yell to let the world know how happy she was.

Shortly after, they broke through the clouds and she could see an endless mountain range capped with snow. On the mountain directly below them was a large structure built into the face. The roofs were tall with large windows and at the center was a domed roof with a large opening to let in the light. She could see a ramp aimed to the sky and the final clue was a reindeer flying towards the ramp. She cracked a bigger grin and rolled to face Jack above her.

"The Pole! Jack, you brought me to the Pole!"

He smiled back and dropped closer to grab her and pulled her to his back to land. She hurriedly took her place and wrapped her arms around his neck. As they came closer, Sophie couldn't wait any longer and hopped off his back, ignoring his protest.

"Sophie! Hold on will you?"

She paused and watched him land next to her, then pulled him to her for a hug.

"Thank you Jack."

"Sophie!" North's voice boomed from the building as he met them on the balcony. "Welcome to zee Pole. It's only been a few months, my how you've changed. Come, let's go inside, yes?"

He waved them forward and Sophie followed, pulling Jack along. She didn't notice the pink dusting the Guardian's face as she held firm to his hand.

Inside the shop, the elves were scurrying around. To Sophie's amazement, there were yetis constructing the toys. The immense number was astounding.

"There are so many!" She leaned close to Jack so only he could hear. "I thought the elves made the toys?"

"That's what I thought. Turns out they aren't so great at it." He pointed to three elves trying to draw eyes on a potato and dress it in clothes.

North led them to a surprisingly smaller room with a fireplace and over stuffed couches. It was cozy and welcoming and Sophie quickly made herself at home. An elf brought her some cookies and she munched away making satisfactory noises. It had been a few months since she first saw Jack again and with each week, she reconnected with her childhood and her imagination benefitted greatly.

Jack and North took their places around the fire and waited for Sophie to compose herself.

"Jack, you could have warned me. I would have made extra cookies!" He laughed as Sophie realized she was the joke and set down the plate.

"Sorry. Someone didn't let me eat this morning. And I'm still reeling from it all. North, it's good to see you again. I apologize, I barely even said hello."

"Bah! Is no big deal. Certainly a change from Christmas, isn't it Jack?" He laughed hard at the memory.

* * *

_"Just be quiet."_

_"I thought he doesn't come when you're awake?"_

_"SSHHH!"_

_Sophie, Jamie, and Jack crouched in the hall waiting for the surprise attack on their yearly visitor. Jamie was peeking around the corner every few minutes._

_"Jack, I doubt we can see…"_

_"Here he comes!" They heard a thud and then the front door opened. Sophie jumped up and out of hiding._

_"You cheat! That's the front door!"_

_"Ah! You have no chimney. What? Do I use stove? Jack Frost! I should have known."_

_Jamie came from the hall followed by a sheepish Jack shrugging his arms at the older guardian._

_"They wanted to say hi. What do you expect from me? I can't make them sleep. That's Sandy's job."_

_"But you can give us the idea to hide in the hall and wait." Sophie gave Jack a smug look and turned to North. "Santa…North…I'm not sure what to call you. But, it's so great to meet you. Or see you again. You're Santa!" She jumped in place, gesturing to him with both arms. The rambling continued and North just stood looking puzzled._

* * *

Sophie blushed as North recalled the memory.

"I enjoy teasing Soph at any time. But, that's not why I brought her here." Jack leaned forward and placed his staff on the floor next to his feet.

North sobered and glanced at Sophie. She gave him a questioning gaze.

"Right, of course. It appears you are more in the dark than I, Sophie."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Jack interrupted, refusing to look at Sophie.

North's face became more serious as he ran his hand over his beard. "What have you found, Jack?"

"Sophie has been having nightmares. Far more frequently than any normal person." He held up the weathered black journal.

"My journal! Jack, what are you doing with it?"

Jack gave her an apologetic shrug as he finally looked at her and continued. "She has been having these dreams and then living them to some extent. Each worse than the previous."

"What are you getting at?" North sat back and crossed his arms as his face darkened a little.

"I think Sophie is being used."

"By who?" Sophie frowned and brought her knees to her chest. "How? What use am I?"

"I don't know why. But, I have a good idea on who."

North pursed his lips, glanced at Sophie and sighed.

"Pitch."

* * *

**'guest'-i just got the update email last night, i was wondering when i'd be reading more. :) be good so you can update sooner! ;)**

**beccaleigh97-thank you for your support :D I'll update as much as i can, as soon as i can!**

**The-Unnamed-Artist-that makes me happy! i think a good cliff hanger is necessary at times. i need to makes sure you keep coming back with your awesome enthusiasm :D**

**rats xp-i hope you got the job! let me know how it turned out, i just accepted a new job myself. yay us! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok. Do we need to recap? I know, I know, it's been a VERY long time since I've updated. Forgive me! Thank you all for being as patient as you have been.**

**Thank you to my BETA, bast4. **

**I went through a little hump in writing, I hope it doesn't show. D: If it has, I swear I'll make up for it!**

**:) Enjoy!**

* * *

Sophie sat in a large bed picking at the golden design on the comforter in her lap. She gave up on attempting to sleep hours ago and had settled for keeping her hands busy and listening to the popping of the fire in the corner. The time passed at an unknown speed leaving Sophie disoriented. She figured morning was close though, her stomach had started to grumble making her more uncomfortable. Finally, she cast aside the idea of waiting for sleep and decided food was her new mission.

Hopping out of bed, she grabbed a small blanket to wrap around herself for modesty's sake. Earlier that day, after a serious conversation in regards to Pitch, Jack took Sophie around the workshop to lift her spirits. They watched the yetis work and helped the elves with their hare-brained toy ideas. He took her to the barn where the reindeer were. She sat there for an hour brushing one of them. When nightfall came, he took her to the tallest peak of the roof and she got to see the northern lights. It was magical. They were high enough that the lights danced around them. All the colors reflected in her eyes as she watched in all directions. She was so caught up in it all that she had forgotten she was at the top of a roof and took a step forward. She slipped down into the valley of the roof that met one of the other peaks and sat in a pile of snow. The result was a heaping pile of wet clothes taken by the elves. North didn't have many options for women's clothing, but with a little ribbon and a shirt borrowed from North, she was able to fashion a make-shift dress, all-be-it a little short.

So, now on her way to the kitchen, Sophie padded down some empty halls to avoid seeing anyone. The shop was so big, she started to feel lost. It was sheer luck that she found the massive kitchen. She danced around gathering ingredients for a very early breakfast. She was so preoccupied, she never noticed another person enter. All of the ingredients were out on the counter so she searched for a pan. Finally, she found them stacked above the cupboards and climbed up to grab one.

"Not exactly climbing attire is it?"

She jumped and lost her footing. Her landing was in the arms of a smirking Jack.

Jack's smirk grew bigger and he chuckled a little as Sophie's face turned to a brighter red. "Hey. Why are you up?"

"I couldn't sleep and I was hungry. Why are you here?"

"Well, I don't sleep and you aren't very quiet, or observant for that matter. I've been here a while." He winked at her.

"Well, thank you for not disturbing the show. Put me down now?" She replied blandly and he obeyed. "Grab that pan for me?"

Sophie continued to prepare the food and giving Jack little tasks to help her. Soon, she was passed her moment of embarrassment and was enjoying herself again and started to hum quietly as she cracked a few eggs into a bowl.

"Do you like pancakes?"

"Who doesn't?" Jack hopped onto a stool and watched Sophie flip the hot cakes onto plates and sprinkled them with powdered sugar.

"Jack, I've been thinking." She brought two warm plates of hot cakes to the breakfast bar where Jack was freezing his silverware. "Do you ever take Jamie up here?"

"No, he's never been here. I'm sure he's gone nuts knowing you got to though!" Jack smiled as he imagined Jamie's impending fit. Sophie gave a breathy laugh as she gave Jack his plate and moved to sit down with her own while he began to eat.

"Have you ever taken him flying?" Jack placed a forkful of food back down to his plate and watched Sophie tentatively pick at her own plate.

"No. He's scared of heights."

Sophie smiled. "I used to be too. But you helped me get over that." She took a bite of the fluffy pancakes and sighed at the deliciousness her taste buds were experiencing.

Jack watched her and tried to predict where she was leading the conversation.

She brought her napkin to her mouth and wiped the crumbs before continuing. "I've been thinking, why have you seemed to have taken a particular interest in me? When you've had Jamie all this time?"

Jack pursed his lips and frowned at his plate. He was quiet for a time before he looked at her.

"I'm not sure exactly. But, I think you play a big part in something, I just don't know what it is." He looked away then back again. "Whatever part you play, it's something I want to be a part of."

He picked up his fork, effectively ending the conversation. Sophie watched him for a moment. He wouldn't look at her, but even if he did, she wouldn't have anything to say. She finished her food and cleaned up her plate. She grabbed her discarded blanket and turned a shade darker when she realized how long she had spent in so little clothing around Jack. Wrapping herself up, she faced Jack before leaving the room.

"Thank you, Jack. You are important to me too."

She slipped out of the room, leaving Jack frozen and wide-eyed.

He sat there long enough for the day to begin. Some of the elves filtered in the kitchen and bells rang in his ears as a form of complaint to the mess. He shrugged and left the kitchen and the fussy elves. Making his way to the main hall, Jack was distracted by thoughts of Sophie. Her words tickled his ears and gave him a light feeling in his stomach. It was all so foreign to him. North has been around for centuries, he'd have an idea of what this was.

North could be heard before he was seen. His booming laugh echoed through every hall in the vast shop. Jack came to the main hall and approached North as he was looking over a scale model of one of his toy ideas with Phil.

"No, do it again. Bigger this time! Jack!" He gave Jack a warm grin as he walked up. "Where is Sophie?"

"Already up. She made a mess in the kitchen, actually." He smirked at North, gesturing behind him. North laughed and held his stomach.

"She really knows how to make herself at home." Jack gave a small smile and scratched his head. "What can I do for you, Jack?"

Jack pointed to the open door to North's office. North nodded and followed him in, closing the door behind him.

Jack tucked his hands in his hoodie trying to sort his thoughts into coherent sentences. North sat down at his work bench and busied himself with the finer details on the ice model of his most recent idea. After a few minutes North looked up at Jack who was drawing simple images on the frosted windows.

"Jack." North gestured to the seat across the table from him and grabbed a new piece of ice.

"What does Pitch want? Why Sophie?" Jack finally spoke as he took the offered seat and watched North work.

"We aren't certain it's Pitch…" North offered as he carved and cut away at the ice in his hands.

"Who else could it be? It's not the Jack-O-Lantern." Jack snapped a little too harshly. North raised a brow at Jack and sighed.

"I'm not ruling it out, but you are making the first mistake in premature accusations. The probability is high. As for why Sophie, I think you have your reason in her dream journal. Sandy can't protect her anymore."

"But Jamie never stopped believing. Why didn't he use his dreams?"

North placed the little forming figure down on the table. he stood and walked to his bookcase and grabbed Sophie's black journal. "Jack, did you see anything from this journal?"

"No, she only told me the good stories."

North opened the book and read a single page to him as he walked back to the bench and took his previous seat. Jack shook his head as he listened to the cryptic words.

"She turns everything into a story. Every dream, good or bad. That's why. She is easy for him to use. Her imagination…"

Jack held his head in his hands. North watched him for a moment, then raised a brow. He closed the book and leaned forward on his forearms.

"Jack, are you worried about what Pitch's plan is regarding Sophie, or what happens to Sophie in the process?"

Jack raised his head. "Both."

"But Sophie is your immediate concern." Jack's eyes averted to the floor and North nodded. He picked up the icy figure again and started to pick at the fine details. "I thought so. Jack, I've seen this before. It's not uncommon, but it never has a good ending. Remember your purpose, you play a special role in the lives of children everywhere. There will always be children, even hundreds of years from now."

North stood and tossed the ice figure he had been carving into Jack's lap as he turned and left the room. Jack held it up to the light and it cast an array of colors across the walls. It was smooth and carved to look like Sophie, but as the toddler he first met. What North said didn't sit well with him and did nothing to ease the confusion clouding his mind.

Breakfast left Sophie in a daze. She couldn't even focus enough to do any writing. Walking around brought her back to the workshop, so she settled for sitting and watching one of the yetis prepare to create his assigned toy. Her clothes still hadn't been returned, but she was getting used to it.

"Your name is Phil, right?" The yeti made some noises that sounded like complete gibberish. Sophie smiled. "Jack told me about you. He told me about the times he would try to sneak in here."

He started to ramble and make a big fuss, Sophie laughed and completely forgot about the previous events.

The rest of the morning passed quietly. She found the elves playing dress up with her clothes. Jack froze the elves to stop them from running. It worked, but it had a similar effect on her clothes and they ended up wet again. She gave up on the idea of receiving them and opted to wrap up in a blanket again. After a small lunch, they took to the skies on their way back to Sophie and Jamie's. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, wrapped in her blanket and cradled to Jack's chest. Her breath warmed his neck and he flew just a little slower.

* * *

**I apologize again for how long it's been, I've had a big writing assignment for one of my courses and it has effectively taken up all my time. I'll try to get another chapter in soon! :)**

**Otakusofia: It looks like you are going to be a dedicated reviewer. I like your style! You have been accepted into the group of awesome people that I mention at the end of every chapter. :)**

**rats xp: oh no! Hope you can find something else soon. In the mean time I'm here to keep your spirits up. :D I'm getting more and more excited as I write...can't wait for later! Who knows what will follow[besides me], the wait is killing me! hehe.**

**pottercouples1216: :D I often squeal with stories that I really get into, so it's nice that I can make others do the same! Means I'm doing good, thank you! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is another chapter! Now...I didn't get hardly ANY feedback for the last one. You really are mad at me aren't you? :( Well, I have been working on some big ideas for later so if you want to know what they are I need to know what you think. Tell your friends! Add it to your favorite list! ;)**

**A big thank you to my BETA bast4, lovely work as usual. :) **

**Enjoy everyone, the end of my current term is approaching, when it does I'll have a week to focus on writing! Bare with me and thank you for your support!**

* * *

It had been a couple months since the incident at the party and barely a month since Cassie gave up trying to contact her. She no longer sat near Sophie in class and had moved on to new friends. They were close, but Sophie just couldn't forget her face. Sophie was scared and so was Cassie, but it was for her self-image. Knowing she had Jack made it that much easier to say good-bye too.

Jack and Sophie grew closer and closer with each day. But, she was still confused about their relationship. There was a connection along with an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't discuss it. They continued to spend as much time together as possible. It wouldn't be too much longer before she would be tied to the tale of Jack Frost as his human companion. When they weren't together, she would think about him. His face filled her mind and most of her dreams too. More recently, he had fallen victim to her nightmares.

The dreams were becoming more frequent and costing her hours of sleep. Jack filled Jamie in on the growing threat and he had taken up a minor hobby of dream research. Jack had deemed himself night watch and refused to leave her room as she slept. On the nights she would wake-up crying, he would sit at the head of her bed and stroke her hair until she would fall asleep.

It was becoming a pattern and an exhausting one at that. Classes became harder as she struggled to focus. Her writing became more fervent, her nose was always stuck in a journal and her hand never stopped moving. The black journal had been filled to the brim and tucked away in North's workshop. When Sophie mentioned the black sand, they took it as a sign and started to take every precaution possible.

On Jack's request, The Sand Man paid them a visit to try and cover her dream catcher with fresh sand. They had hoped it would help to protect her mind. Sophie didn't care though, she finally got to meet another guardian. She was beside herself with giddy energy as she asked him questions. Watching the images pop up above his head in response made her eyes light up. For a night, she was exactly like her old self. She even convinced him to stay long enough to sketch him in her special journal. The distraction was welcoming and eased the worry Jack felt for her.

* * *

"Come on Sophie! You said you would take us to the park." Maggie pulled on Sophie's sleeve with all her might to get her out the door.

"Ok, Maggie. Just give me a minute." Sophie turned to yell into the house. "Jamie? You're driving right?"

Jamie rolled his eyes as he pulled on his coat. "I'm coming! Geez, be patient, will ya?"

At the park, Jamie and Sophie sat on a bench and watched Maggie and her brother play with the other kids. Jamie opened his notebook and turned a few pages.

"Soph, I've been doing a lot of reading. I think there is a way to beat this." Sophie gave a little chuckle. "Hear me out, okay?"

"Jamie, I'm asleep. There is nothing to grab and stop from entering my mind. What am I supposed to do? Say stop? No?"

"That's exactly what you do." Sophie gave him a blank expression. "It's called lucid dreaming. You learn to control your dreams as you experience them. It's hard and takes training. It could work though."

Sophie sat back and looked at the barren trees across the park. Maggie caught her eye and waved enthusiastically. Her eyes watered a little to feel the pure energy from the child. She stood to join the kids in their play.

"Ok. I'll do anything to not experience these dreams anymore."

She walked towards the kids with her head a little higher. Jack appeared next to Jamie were Sophie had just occupied the bench.

"Do you really think it could work?" Jack asked as he bounced the end of his staff on his outstretched feet.

"There aren't very many options otherwise." Jamie leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees and looked at Jack sternly. "I've seen that journal. She is creative and her imagination is vast. But what she has written down was aided by more than that."

"I don't know how Pitch is getting to her, but we are watching everywhere. I don't know what he has planned out. But I won't let him use her!" Jamie smiled at Jack's valor.

"I know you won't. Then who would show you up at every game you make?"

Jack smiled and hopped onto the curve of his staff.

"When does she want to start?"

* * *

Sophie lurched forward in a familiar cold sweat. Her hair was a bigger mess than usual and her eyes were bloodshot. It had been two weeks since they had started her mental training. Jamie explained everything he knew about lucid dreaming during the day. At night, she would attempt to apply what she learned to her dreams. It was hard work and left her more tired each time. She smoothed her hair back and sat up against the wall.

"Any progress?" Jack leaned forward from his purch on her desk.

"I'm not sure, maybe. I know I'm dreaming but I can't shake the emotions when I start to feel them."

"Jamie said it would take some time. At least you are aware now." He gave her a small smile.

"It's been two weeks, Jack! I'm more sleep deprived than what should be humanly possible. I can't do this forever." Her eyes started to water and she rubbed at them before the tears could fall.

Jamie came in with hot chocolate and set it on her side table. "I heard you yell. I'm going to assume it's still not working." He turned to Jack. "Have you had any luck tracking Pitch?"

Jack shook his head and sat back down on Sophie's desk. "Not even a hint. Sandy hasn't noticed any nightmares. The children are fine. There hasn't been a sign of him since Man in Moon brought all the guardians together."

Sophie took a sip of her cocoa and gazed at all of her pictures. The stress was weighing heavily on her and she could feel the edges of her mentality starting to fray. Jamie scratched at his chin and voiced his thoughts.

"Maybe we can try something else. Don't focus on changing the dream. You said you are starting to be able to notice that it's a dream. Go with that." Sophie gave him an exhausted look of confusion. "Soph, we've been focused on trying to alter the dreams. I think we started all wrong. Instead, once you realize you're dreaming, remember to be calm. Remember that it's JUST a dream."

Sophie mulled over the conversation. She looked at Jamie and then at Jack. He moved to the edge of the bed and took her hand, squeezing it. "It's just a bad dream. Remember all of these good ones." He gestured around the room.

She followed his hand and took in the details of her drawings. A warm feeling started to form deep in her chest. After a long agonizing two weeks, a small piece of herself had started to return.

* * *

**rats xp: I'm glad to hear things are working out better for you, good luck! :) Pending the grade...I think I did pretty well. I'm glad you are still enjoying yourself, and that you don't hate me for how long I took to get this chapter out. ;)**


	11. Noticeit's not bad news!

Hello everyone!

I know it has been far too long since i have updated, i just wanted to check in and say this story is not abandonded! it's not really writers block either. since my last update my classes have gotten more overwhelming and a new term has proven to be just the same, leaving me with barely any time to sit and relax let alone get lost in writing more.

I promise I will try and get some more work out to you as soon as I can. I have a couple chapters waiting in line to be edited. Once they are they will be submitted. And I have more that is still in writing that needs to be typed up!

So don't abandon me just yet, everything will come around in good time.

I also apologize if this was a fake out for a chapter. I should have one up within 2 weeks...maybe 3.

For those that are still interested, I humbly thank you for your loyalty!

In the mean time, tell your friends! look back on what we've done so far. maybe drop a review where you haven't yet :)

peace buddies!

-A.


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